AUSTIN, Texas — Maryland knocked off No. 23 Texas 51-41 in a college football season opener for both teams in Austin, Texas on Saturday, spoiling new Longhorns coach Tom Herman’s debut.
Texas jumped out to the early lead when Holton Hill returned an interception 31-yards with 13:40 left in the opening quarter.
However, Maryland scored 27 straight points en route to going into the halftime break with a 30-14 lead.
Twice the Longhorns cut the deficit to three points, but the visiting Terrapins answered on both occasions to grab an impressive road win.
Tyrrell Pigrome threw two touchdown passes and ran for another score before leaving with an injury for Maryland.
Pigrome went 9 of 12 for 175 yards with an interception and ran 11 times for 64 yards prior to being helped off the field late in the third quarter after twisting his knee.
He was replaced by freshman Kasim Hill, who came in and led two fourth-quarter touchdown drives. Hill also ran for a score.
Ty Johnson carried the ball 12 times for 132 yards and a touchdown, while D.J. Moore took seven catches for 133 yards and a TD and Taivon Jacobs also caught a pass for a score in the win for Maryland.
“It’s a breakthrough for the program. No one knew what to expect,” said Moore.
Meanwhile, Maryland cornerback Antwaine Richardson was carted off the field on a stretcher late in the third quarter and didn’t return.
Richardson went down after a hard hit near the Maryland goal line and remained still for several minutes before medical officials took him off the field.
Richardson had a team-high six solo tackles.
Shane Buechele completed 34 of 52 passes for 375 yards and two touchdowns and ran another score for Texas, which scored three non-offensive touchdowns.
Holton Hill had an interception return and blocked kick return for scores, while Reggie Hemphill-Mapps had a 91-yard punt return for a TD in the defeat.
“I told our guys to never get used to this feeling, but that if we all thought that we were going to come in here and in nine months, sprinkle some fairy dust on this team and think that we’ve arrived, then we’re wrong,” Herman said.
As a team, the Terrapins outgained Texas 482 versus 473 and dominated the Longhorns on the ground 263 to 98.
“That was, I’ve never, with a conventional offense … I’ve never seen us give up so many rush yards,” Herman said.
Live Game Updates
—-Photo by: Greg Fiume
